The Phantasy Star Compendium Translation

Sorry, folks, no HTML niceties; I figured that black text on a white background was best for a document that requires long-term reading. But then, you didn't come here see a bunch of pretty pictures, did you?

Wonderful news! A very, very generous soul by the name of Yukiko Yasuge translated the last of the PS staff interviews - thank you so much! Thanks to her (and Aaron, who contacted me about her), this translation (barring typo checks) is complete.

Irasshaimase! This site (well, it's not really a site; once the translation is finished, it'll no longer be updated) houses the in-progress unofficial translation of Sega of Japan's official Phantasy Star fan book, The Phantasy Star Compendium. The Compendium was first published in late 1995, and it's basically a "data book" on the series, filled with production art, details on the games' development, new information on the series's characters and locales, etc. (Unfortunately, in the couple years since I first posted this translation, the Compendium seems to have become much rarer and, in most cases, unavailable even by special order through anime import shops. The ISBN identification number is 4-89052-782-6, if you still want to try; the price was previously in the $25-$35 range, though I doubt any retailer able to grab hold of some copies of the book will hold to that at this point.)

Before we begin, a few points:

Most of you out there are probably already familiar with these types of disclaimers, but just to make sure - this is a literal translation from a language whose grammatical structure is quite different from that of English; I have not altered the words or syntax to make the text read more smoothly. This is not to say that my limitations in the language does not have a hand in this occasional awkwardness at times; far from it, since I'm only a student. But I have tried to be as accurate as possible. Sometimes it flows nicely, other times it doesn't. C'est le japonais.

Any text in brackets in additional information, explanation, or commentary by me. I apologize in advance the proliferation of bracket-speak (I'm a habitual parenthetical talker).

Gray Brangwin is due considerable credit for helping me through the rough spots on this translation. Doumo.

Finally, the usual webpage use/abuse jargon - this document/translation is the work of me, Rebecca Capowski; please don't reprint any part of it without my permission (which is easy enough to get; just e-mail me. It'd take a fairly extreme case for me to turn you down).

The game titles themselves - The "Phantasy Star" - "Ph" and all - is kept intact, of course, but the subtitles have changed. The names of the four Japanese installments are as follows:Phantasy Star
Phantasy Star II - At the End of the Time Which Can Never Be Returned to [Note: this was previously translated as "At the End of the Restoration", but loc, a PS fan who's translating some of the PSII text adventures, says that the subtitle is a Japanese expression which means the above phrase. I'll trust him because he lives in Japan and I don't. ^_^]
Successors of Time: Phantasy Star III
Phantasy Star - At the End of the Millennium (Yes, there is an "At", and, no, there is no "IV".)

The planets - The Algo Star System is the Algol Solar System, and the Japanese names of the four planets are Parma, Motabia, Dezolis, and Ryucross. Ugly. I despise using "Parma" and "Dezolis", since they're considered particularly egregious translation discrepancies in the English version of PSIV, but I'm taking the names from the only solid Japanese sources we have - the PSIV sound test (which was ported over intact from the Japanese version, minus a banner across the top (it had kanji on it, which was probably what got it whacked)) and the small panel that pops up when Rolf discovers the computer on Gaila that shows the names of the planets written on in Roman letters (which, again, was ported over directly from the Japanese version; there's a picture of it in the Compendium). Dezoris is referred to as "Dezolis" in the Jap PSII and "Dezoris" in the PSIV sound test; I'm taking the former as canon, seeing that, to put it bluntly, it came first (and thus takes precedence over any changes later on). (Late note: it turns out that Huey/Hugh's PSII text adventure romanizes "Motabia" as "Motavia". I have no idea how this fits in to the main series's canonity. I'm not even sure the programmers know for certain. I'm leaving it as "Motabia" in the document and just plain giving up.)

Character names (Note: an abbreviated version (i.e., without all the explanatory chatter) is available here; you might want to open it in another window and keep it handy for quick reference while browsing through the page.)

Lassic - La Shiec (Yes, the "s" is capitalized - it's "Ra Shiik" in kana, given the same way the last names of the PSIII crew are. While this probably could be romanized as "La Chic" or "La Sick" as well, I've followed in PSIV's footsteps, since its translations of previously-established places and figures are the most literal - if the most unfaithful to English naming conventions - of the series. La Shiec is actually his last name; his first is Reipard, if anyone's interested.)Dr. Luveno - sameHapsby - sameTajima/Tarzimal/God knows what else - Tajim
The governor is referred to as the "governor-general" or "viceroy".

PSII (note: the PSII text adventures spell out the PC's first names in roman letters on certain screens. Eusis, Nei, Amia, and Shilka are canonical (culled from the PSII text adventure games); the rest of the first names (and all of the last names) are my romanizations. If you have played the text adventures and have found in-game contradictions to these approximations, by all means, give me a ring. (In fact, since the smarter-than-the-average-Musk Cat Naflign has managed to get hold of one of these precious discs, we might be seeing some changes/confirmations in these names soon.)

Rolf - Eusis (The book says that Rolf/Eusis is of the Landale bloodline; whether or not his last name is actually Landale (or "Landeel") is not known (at least by me).)Nei - sameRudolf Steiner - Rudger SteinerAnna Sage - Anne Saga (Her name is French; "Saga" might actually be the romanization of a French surname with a silent vowel at the end. Au secours, Eve.)Hugh Thompson - Huey ReaneAnna Zirski - Amia Amirski"Josh" Kain - Kainz Ji AnShir Gold - Shilka Levinia

Others:

No significant changes as far as I can see. Motherbrain, Neifirst, Tyler, and Lutz all retain their original names. (The Commander, however, is the governor-general or viceroy, as in PSI.)

PSIII (I'm including the marriage prospects in the PC section, if that's OK. I'm also very wordy here, if that's OK.) -

Rhys - Kane Sa Riik (from the kana "Sa Riiku". God knows how to properly romanize it. Could be "Leek", but then the great Orakian homeland would be named after a vegetable. Then again, read further on down the line and you'll probably agree that PSIII isn't past such goofy nomenclature.)Maia - Marlena Le Cille (I've translated the "Ru" in "RuShiiru" as "Le". The Japanese "u" most closely approximates the French "e" sound in "le". And, no, it's not "Marina"; I like her better as a "Marina" too, but "Maarina" is not the same as "Marina", and a double vowel before an "r" character often translates as an "r". PS3 does this, of course, so that Rhys (or Kane) can, come marriage time, choose between a Lena and a Marlena. There are other examples of this cloyingness further on.)Mieu - sameWren - ShirrenLyle - Lyle La Mirah (mee-rah)Lena - Lena No Satera (I've also seen "Di Satera" and "De Satera". In Japanese, "no" is a possessive article, as "di" and "de" are in Italian and French, so same difference. The book uses "No Satera" (and it's written, like all the names, in katakana), and since I'm translating the *book*, it's "No Satera" from here on in.)Ayn - Ayn Sa Riik ("Ayn" is pronounced like the German article "Ein", BTW.)Thea - Lann La MirahSari - Lynn No Satera (And Ayn gets to choose between "Lann" and "Lynn".)Nial - Lane Sa Riik (a combination of "Lena" and "Kane", och)Alair - Luise Kay Eshyr (First name pronounced "lu-ee-say"; beats me on the nationality. The last name is the subject of much controversy. It's not "Ecille", as it's not spelled the same way - Cille is "Shiiru", the surname in question is "Ke Eshiru" (only one "i", which does make a difference). The romanization here is only a guess.)Laya - Laia (This was a toughie, because both the U.S. "Laya" and "Laia" are pronounced the same way, with a long i - "Lie-ah". Eve Chauviré, however, brought it to my attention that "Laya" would be "Raya" in katakana; the Japanese don't use "aia" for our equivalent "aya" sound ("Maya" (as in the Mayan civilization) is still "maya", not "maia", etc.). Therefore, her name is "Laia". Either way, Laia has no last name mentioned in the book; there is, however, a great chance of it being "Le Cille". (And either way, Nial/Lane doesn't get a cutesy choice of marriage prospects, no fair!))Sean - Shiin Le Cille (I'm not going to even try to devise a romanization for the four third-generation heroes. The first names are presented in their original kana form. ("The prince's offspring will wander afar, and his grandson will be cursed with a really stupid name."))Crys - Noin No SateraAdan - Fuin Sa RiikAron - Ruin Sa Riik ("Well, he has a three-out-of-four chance of being cursed with a stupid name." Incidentally, I transposed Adan and Aron's corresponding Japanese names in my post to the PS newsgroup - mooshi wake nai - gomen nasai!)Kara - Luna Kay Eshyr (I'm assuming on the last name.)
No other PCs are mentioned.

Others:

Laya is Laia, but Orakio, Rulakir, Miun, and Siren are all the same (I have, however, seen some Japanese fan pages which refer to Siren as "Psi-Wren"). Orakio's (and, I suppose, Rulakir's) last name is Sa Riik (and, as with her little sister, Laia's is probably Le Cille). Lune isn't mentioned (well, he's mentioned, but his name isn't used).

PSIV -

Chaz Ashley - Rudy Ashleigh ("Ashley" doesn't have the same sound.)Alys Brangwin - Lyla BrangwenHahn Mahlay - sameRune Walsh - Thray Walsh (Yes, yes, I know; everyone calls him "Slay". The sound test, however, titles his theme as "Thray", and since the text and titles of the sound test are unchanged from the Japanese game, and since "Thray" is a perfectly acceptable romanization of "Surei", I'm going with "Thray".)Gryz - Pyke (or "Pike". I figure, though, that if it's "Alys" and "Gryz", it might as well be "Lyla" and "Pyke")Rika - FalDemi - Freyna (derived from the Norse goddess of love? They have "Vahal(la) Fort" in the game, so it's not implausible)Wren - Forren (Yes, yes, I know part deux - everyone uses "Fuoren". It's more aesthetically pleasing, but it's incorrect. In katakana, the android's name is spelled fu - small o - dash/sound elongation/macron sign - re - n. Had the designers intended it to be "Fuoren", they would've used fu - regular-size o - re - n. "Fuoren" is pronounced differently, to boot.)Raja - Su Raja (Dezorians place their surnames first.)Kyra Tierney - Shess Tierney (Could be "Cess" after all; the Japanese are rather liberal with a "sh" sound vs. a "s" sound in katakana-ization.)

Others:

Seth - Shiam (It's tempting to romanize this as "Sham", but - no.)Zio - same (could be "Jio" too. The ending sound is pronounced "ee-oh", not "ai-oh")Dorin - sameProfessor Holt - samePana - sameSaya - SahyaGyuna - sameJuza - sameMito the fortuneteller - same (if you spot it in the U.S. version - one NPC calls her that)High Priest at Gumbious - Ta SuukBishop - the Archbishop, and the book says he had the name "Sha Iraa" in production.the Principal - the Dean, and the book says he had the surname of "Kroft" in production.Old Esper (Rune's attendant) - the "Mentor", and the book says he had the name "Hasari" (it's an Indian name) in production.

I'm told that the PS Collection offers the following names as romanizations. Personally, I don't know quite what to make of these; some of them are reasonable, but some are just...bizarre; translating the katakana "Raira" as "Ryre" and "Arisa" as "Alicer" is like using the abbreviation "OTOH" on the Net but taking it to mean "on Tuesdays or holidays". I can't see these as the programmers' intended names. Ah, well; at the very least, we can take solace in the fact that there are apparently lousy Sega translators in Japan too.

La Shiec
The one who led the Algol Star System to ruin 2,000 years ago. He nurses a grudge against Lutz and has been resurrected as a zombie. He steals the Eclipse Torch and invites Rudy and company to come to his floating Air Castle.

Picture Captions:

[Rudy, Shiam, and Thray] A height comparison of Rudy, Thray, and Shiam. It's a rough sketch.
[La Shiec threatening Rudy] A height comparison of Rudy [and La Shiec]. Do you think he's changed much in 2,000 years?
[map of Motabia] Motabia 1,000 years after II; due to shifting of the earth's crust, the topography has changed a lot.

pg. 24

Dorin
An information-monger old man who lives in the hidden Motabian village of Tonoe. Because he was a close friend of Pyke's father, he looks after Pyke and Pana.

Holt
A professor at Motabia Academy. He is Hahn's teacher. He was turned to stone at Birth Valley. To tell the truth, he's on bad terms with the university.

The Dean [The Principal]
The dean of Motabia University. He hires Lyla to drive away the monsters in the basement. At one time [in production] he had the name of "Kroft".

Pana
Pyke's little sister. Pyke leaves the party out of worry for his sister, but, at her urging, he comes back for the final, decisive battle.

Sahya [Saya]
Hahn's fiancée, a schoolteacher in the town of Krup. But, since Lyla has made away with their wedding fund, I wonder if they'll be able to get married...

Gyuna
A friend of Raja's who runs a tavern in the Dezolian town of Ryuon. He informs you that there's a spaceship hidden in the town of Tyler.

The Archbishop [The Bishop]
The archbishop of the great Gumbious Temple. He tells Rudy and the others about the existence of Ryucross and the Profound Darkness. In production, he had the name of "Sha Iraa".

Ta Suuk [High Priest of Gumbious]
High priest of the great Gumbious Temple. He asks Rudy and company to recover the stolen Eclipse Torch. A common Dezolian who quickly has a change of heart [rough translation].

Esper Comrade
A fellow Esper who asks Rudy and his party to go rescue Shess, who has set out for the Galberg Tower [Garuberk Tower] all alone. Like Shess, he comes from the Esper Mansion.

pg. 26

Mentor
The mentor who watches over Esper Mansion in place of the often-absent fifth-generation Lutz. He seems like quite a capable person. In production, he had the name of "Hasari".

Bakery Proprietor [all right, this is getting a little excessively comprehensive]
The proprietor of the "Naula" cake shop on the outskirts of Aiedo. The conversation here will bring back memories for those familiar with I.

Juza
Zio's second-in-command, who confronts Rudy and company at Zio's Fort. At first glance, he appears to be an ordinary human, but is body is actually that of a monster.

Fortuneteller
A fortuneteller in the town of Aiedo. She foresees Lyla's ultimate fate. Her own name is Mito, but the name of her shop has not been determined.

1992 TOY SHOW VERSION

At the End of the Millennium first premiered at the June 1992 Tokyo Toy Show. Judging by the title screen, in was called Phantasy Star IV at the time. Since hardly any screenshots were shown from the finished product after that, I wonder if these were the "first-look screen shots" for the Megadrive magazines and the people who couldn't come to the Toy Show. Incidentally, since the ROM of this version no longer exists, you won't be able to see the following screens again.

Picture Captions:

[the four Protectors] Everyone's poses in the opening sequence are different.
[Dark Force] It isn't specified, but it's obvious that this is Dark Force.
[Algol] An image spanning the Algol Solar System.
[Rudy kneeling with sword before Dezolis] Some of the graphical collage behind Rudy was used.
[PSI, II, III memorial screens] The Lineage of the Series's Past Is Also Acknowledged
Graphical images depicting I-III were also inserted. We wanted to put them in the finished version.

This game system's most outstanding feature is its combination attacks. Through the designated matches (a combination of battle order and assignments), the appearance of something unusual will point to a combination attack. Together with the use of macro commands, you'll eventually be able to execute them whenever you like. All fourteen types of combination attacks are presented in this section. Since their attack powers are great, you probably won't be able to use these until the optimum experience levels.

*Here, "T" means "technique" and "S" means "skill". Combos where the attack order is not specified as "fixed" will still squish monsters no matter which way its components are arranged. [Note: the last three columns denote how well each combo will work on the given enemy group, with "excel." denoting "excellent" and "---" denoting that it doesn't work at all.]

Sound Test

There are arranged-version CDs on sale, but, to some, it's disappointing that original sound versions are unavailable. There are probably a lot of people saying "I want to hear that piece of music from that scene one more time!". For all those people, we have this sound test mode. With this mode, you can settle down and listen to all 48 tunes, from the opening to the ending, to your heart's content.Picture Captions:
[continue menu] At this screen, you should press the B button.
[sound test] You can press the control pad left and right to change the tune on screen. You can listen to only the ones you like!

Combination Attack Secrets

If certain conditions are fulfilled, a combination attack will certainly result. In the event that nothing happens even though "it looks like everything is in place!", it isn't. To explain, the program decides when your enemies and allies take their turns. For example, let's suppose that the order is decided as "Lyla-->enemy-->Rudy...". If the command "Lyla - Foie, Rudy - Zan" was entered, a combination attack will not occur, since Lyla cast Foie. If the second enemy dies by this attack, what do you think will happen? Naturally, the program will unleash Rudy's attack. Your commands will continue to be carried out this way, seemingly in succession.Picture Caption:
[Destruction] If you use combination attacks in macro commands, you'll be able to execute them with certainty.

pg. 27.

THE OVERSEAS VERSION OF "PSIV"

As I - III were marketed overseas, an overseas version of At the End of the Millennium also exists. The highly anticipated (?) package, when completed, was ghastly, gloomy, and alarmingly dark in color. This difference from the original gave cause for concern, but when you compare all the visuals against the Megadrive version, with the supposed exception of the sound test, it's about the same. Yes, of course the messages are all in English! There are, by the way, visuals that weren't seen in the original version, but, since they're printed on pg. 197 of the Phantasy Star: At the End of the Millennium Game Guide (sold in fine bookstores), interested parties can take a look if they wish. [Let us all pause for a moment to allow the idea of us getting something that the Japanese didn't to fully sink in.]

Picture Captions:

[party confronting Zio] Though the package is different, the in-game visuals are exactly the same.
[fight with Zio] A battle scene. The commands are all written in English. I'm afraid that I'll make a mistake in entering a command!
[Rika talking] As in the domestic version, if you keep on pressing the buttons too fast, you won't understand the story at all.
[U.S. package] This is the package. Fal is supposed to be wielding a claw, but it just looks like her fingernails have grown out.
[PSIV logo] Was the Domestic Version "PSIV" Too!?
The title of the Genesis version became "PSIV", but the domestic version was actually originally titled "PSIV" on the release schedule.
[U.S. PSIV booklet] The Chara Names Are Different.
It doesn't have any effect on the contents, but each name has been changed from the domestic version. In doing so, Fal has become "Rika"...

The five visuals published here featuring the Millennium character designs put forth by Yoshida-shi were planned for a cover of SPEC magazine. SPEC is a Sega-organized fan club linking together Sega users. The fan club newsletter is put together completely by Sega development staff. Since, due to various circumstances, the last issue of the magazine was not published, the graphics are being "housed" here. So then, of course, they're being published here for the first time.

The game uses Phantasy Star II's setting, but Phantasy Star Adventure's characters and system are all original.
The hero is an Agent from Paseo on Motabia. He heads for Dezolis to see an invention created by his friend, Dr. Ken Miller. But, a short time after this joyous reunion, both the doctor and the machine he invented are abducted...
The events are unrelated to PSII, probably because it was released in such a short time, but new developments (such as having to control another character to rescue the hero, who has been captured by the enemies) are always unfolding.Picture Caption:
[girl at desk] The on-screen layout and system is simple. Due to that, the Game Gear's small, handy liquid-crystal screen does not present a problem.Picture Text:
[girl at desk] This is the spaceport in Carsonville on Dezolis. There's a girl at the reception desk.

The Places You Find Nei! KINETIC CONNECTION

There was a puzzle game for the modem game service called Kinetic Connection, in which you put together pictures played in real time, which used Nei in two puzzles. Unfortunately, we don't have a recent photograph of it, but we did discover one published in a Sega pamphlet, so we decided to present it here.
[Sentence I can't completely make out, but it says that Yoshibon drew the pictures, and that when you finished the puzzle, another picture would apparently flash onto or in the background.] It is unclear how this picture was animated, but there was sideways scrolling and the hair moved - what other things were there? I wonder why software like this can't come out for the Saturn?Picture Caption:
["Neisecond" puzzle] This screenshot was discreetly published in a pamphlet. Things like this make one sorry that the game service ended.